Walgreens bumps out little stores

GRAND HAVEN -- Jeanne Welling said she was just about to pay off a major loan for high-end kitchen appliances that were built specifically for her four-year-old Grand Haven eatery.

But the owner of Jeanne's Cafe, 1049 Robbins, is no longer looking at getting ahead.
She'll likely be forced to start over, because her building will likely be demolished next year to make way for a second Walgreens drug store in Grand Haven.

Welling's restaurant, along with Rochester's Reef, Radio Shack, Forever Tan and Flower Connection, have been given a tentative notice to move out as early as May, store owners and managers said.

"Now, I've got to go back out on a limb again," Welling said. "I have this vision of all my customers picking up their chairs and moving them to a new location across the highway."

Welling said moving makes her nervous.

"We have a spot we've looked at, but nothing is for sure at this point," she said.
City officials recently received site plans from GDK Construction Co. of Holland for a 13,650-square-foot Walgreens on the site.

Doug DeKock, co-owner of GDK, said a closing date has not been set for purchasing the existing building.

A construction timeline has not been set, he said.

"We have to get through the approval process before we can make that determination," DeKock said. "We'd like to start as soon as possible, but we have to get all of our ducks in a row."

The company has asked the planning commission for a special land-use permit for a proposed drive-thru window; a public hearing will be held next month.

If that is approved, the planning commission would review the overall site plan. The company could have all required city approvals by January.

GDK will build a standard Walgreens store with a brick-and-limestone facade and metal awnings. The one-story building would offer 69 parking spaces.

DeKock said Walgreens officials have told him they plan on operating two stores in Grand Haven. Walgreens also operates a store at U.S. 31 and Jackson Street inside the city limits.

A Walgreens corporate spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

Several store managers in the existing building said a tentative move out date is May 1. They said negotiations have to be completed because several tenants have leases that run past May.